Collembolan Density and Diversity in a Forest and an Agroecosystem

D. Paul, A. Nongmaithem, L. K. Jha

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DOI: 10.4236/ojss.2011.12008                

Abstract

Collembola, commonly called “springtails” are wingless soft-bodied hexapods that are usually between 1 and 3 millimetres in length and occur in varying habits such as, soil surface and litter, under rocks or the bark of trees. The great majority develop in soil, feeding on fungi, bacteria, algae and decaying plant matter, and along with other soil fauna constitute the decomposer community. The present study examines the diversity, density, and seasonal variation patterns of collembolan fauna under different intensities of disturbance, as evidenced in a forest and an agroecosystem. Results indicate that both densities and diversity of collembola was higher in the forest than in the agroecosystem. Seasonal fluctuation exhibited an increase from spring to summer and autumn and a decrease during winter. The coorelation patterns with different chemo-edaphic factors did not show any specific trend.Indices of diversity and significant correlation values are discussed in light of landuse.

Keywords

Collembola, Biodiversity, Forest, Agroecosystem

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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